NAMIBIA STANDOFF OVER GUERRILLAS

By CHRISTOPHER S. WREN, Special to the New York Times

Published: April 14, 1989

OSHIKANGO, Namibia, April 13—
A standoff between South Africa and the United Nations developed here today in the rugged bush over the disposition of the first Namibian guerrillas facing return to Angola.

South African military officers wanted to question the four guerrillas, but were turned down by armed Australian and British soldiers protecting them. A South African officer who walked up too close was ordered away by a Pakistani military observer.

The incident did not lead to violence, but it was promptly followed by talks between United Nations and Pretoria officials in the district town of Oshakati on what to do with the guerrillas, who were brought less than 200 yards from Namibia's border with Angola.

The Angolan Army, which is supposed to repatriate such guerrillas, is reportedly not yet ready to do so at Oshikango, a United Nations military observer here said.

The four guerrillas of the South-West Africa People's Organization, known as Swapo, were driven by United Nations monitors to the assembly point in Oshikango on Wednesday afternoon. Two Had Been Wounded

Two of the guerrillas had been wounded, apparently in clashes with South African security forces. They were evacuated by the United Nations to an undisclosed civilian hospital. The other two were being protected by 10 Australian and 5 British soldiers.

A platoon of heavily armed South African paratroopers was camped barely 200 yards away, and an army post lay across the tarred road.

''They told us now that they trust us and feel safe with us,'' said Capt. John Dakin of the British Army, who was standing near the tent where the two guerrillas were resting.

The incident at Oshikango provided an insight into the failure so far of a plan announced Sunday to give safe conduct back to the guerrillas who infiltrated across the frontier when a United Nations-sponsored plan leading to Namibian independence went into effect. At least 290 guerrillas, policemen and security force members were reported killed in the fighting that ensued.

So far, not one guerrilla has turned himself in at one of the nine assembly points. Chief Inspector Kierie du Rand, a police spokesman, estimated today that nearly 1,900 guerrillas remained at large inside Namibia.

The four guerrillas now in custody walked into a Lutheran mission church, believed to be at Oniipa, unarmed and in civilian clothes.

Churches in northern Namibia have been designated as sanctuaries where the insurgents need not fear attack. According to one account, the four did not want to leave their hideout.

Journalists who found their way to the encampment were not permitted to see or interview the two insurgents.

The South African Army has assigned heavily-armed combat units to every assembly point, ostensibly to provide logistical support for the United Nations personnel.